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The present invention relates generally to configurations for coupling dielectric resonators to transmission lines, and more specifically to a configuration for coupling a dielectric resonator to a microstrip transmission line in which a very high Q value of the dielectric resonator is maintained.
Dielectric resonators are frequently employed in microwave circuits such as microwave oscillators and filters because of their relatively high Quality factor (Q) values and good frequency stability. In a conventional configuration for coupling a dielectric resonator to a microstrip transmission line in a microwave circuit application, the dielectric resonator is mounted on a dielectric substrate near an adjacent microstrip conductor. Further, the dielectric substrate is disposed on a ground plane such that the combination of the microstrip conductor, the dielectric substrate, and the ground plane forms the microstrip transmission line.
In the conventional dielectric resonator-to-microstrip transmission line coupling configuration, the dielectric resonator is typically configured to resonate in either a Transverse Electric (TE) mode or a Transverse Magnetic (TM) mode. For example, when a cylindrical dielectric resonator is configured to resonate in a TE mode, an end face of the dielectric resonator cylinder may be mounted on the dielectric substrate near the adjacent microstrip conductor to allow magnetic field coupling between the dielectric resonator and the microstrip transmission line. Alternatively, when the cylindrical dielectric resonator is configured to resonate in a TM mode, the dielectric resonator cylinder may be mounted on the dielectric substrate on its side near the adjacent microstrip conductor to allow the desired magnetic field coupling between the dielectric resonator and the microstrip transmission line.
Moreover, the dielectric resonator, the adjacent microstrip transmission line, and the dielectric substrate are typically shielded by, e.g., a metal enclosure to prevent dissipative losses caused by electromagnetic fields radiating away from the dielectric resonator and the microstrip transmission line and/or undesired electromagnetic field coupling with adjacent electrical circuits.
One drawback of the conventional dielectric resonator-to-microstrip transmission line coupling configuration is that dielectric resonators in this configuration are often subject to reduced Q values. For example, the Q value of a dielectric resonator may be reduced due to substantial electromagnetic field coupling with a microstrip transmission line and/or undesired electromagnetic field coupling with a ground plane or a shield. As a result, the frequency stability of the dielectric resonator may degrade, thereby causing a corresponding degradation in the frequency stability of a microwave circuit in which the dielectric resonator is incorporated.
It would therefore be desirable to have a configuration for coupling a dielectric resonator to a microstrip transmission line that can be employed in microwave circuit applications. Such a dielectric resonator-to-microstrip transmission line coupling configuration would allow the dielectric resonator to maintain a relatively high Q value.
In accordance with the present invention, a configuration for coupling a dielectric resonator to a microstrip transmission line is provided that maintains a relatively high Q value of the dielectric resonator. Benefits of the presently disclosed invention are achieved by configuring the dielectric resonator to resonate in an intrinsic non-radiating Hybrid Electromagnetic Mode (HEM) to optimize the distribution of electromagnetic fields, thereby minimizing dissipative losses that can lead to reduced Q values.
In a first embodiment, a dielectric resonator, a grounded metal wall, and a microstrip conductor are mounted on a surface of a dielectric substrate such that the microstrip conductor is between the adjacent dielectric resonator and the metal wall. Further, the dielectric substrate is disposed on a ground plane such that the combination of the microstrip conductor, the dielectric substrate, and the ground plane forms a microstrip transmission line.
The dielectric resonator is configured to resonate in a first predetermined HEM mode to generate at least one Transverse Magnetic (TM) multipole (i.e., dipole, quadrupole, or octupole, etc.) inside the resonating dielectric resonator, and the metal wall is configured as a mirror for conceptually forming an image of the resonating dielectric resonator on an opposite side of the metal wall. Further, the dielectric resonator is mounted on the dielectric substrate surface very near or touching the microstrip conductor, and the metal wall is mounted at a predetermined distance from the dielectric resonator to excite in full strength (i.e., higher Quality factor (Q)) the first predetermined HEM mode. Accordingly, when an electromagnetic wave is transmitted on the microstrip transmission line, the adjacent dielectric resonator is excited to resonate in the first predetermined HEM mode, thereby allowing a degree of magnetic field coupling between the microstrip transmission line and the dielectric resonator.
In a second embodiment, the dielectric resonator, the grounded metal wall, and the microstrip conductor are mounted on the dielectric substrate surface such that the dielectric resonator is between the adjacent microstrip conductor and the metal wall. Further, the dielectric resonator is mounted very near or touching the microstrip conductor, and the metal wall is mounted at the above-mentioned predetermined distance from the dielectric resonator. Accordingly, when an electromagnetic wave is transmitted on the microstrip transmission line, the adjacent dielectric resonator is excited to resonate in the first predetermined HEM mode to generate at least one TM multipole inside the dielectric resonator and allow a degree of magnetic field coupling between the microstrip transmission line and the dielectric resonator.
By configuring the dielectric resonator to resonate in an intrinsic non-radiating HEM mode to generate TM multipoles inside the dielectric resonator, and configuring the grounded metal wall as a mirror for conceptually forming an image of the resonating dielectric resonator, electric and magnetic fields associated with the dielectric resonator are confined to different locations. Specifically, the electric field is confined almost entirely outside the dielectric resonator in a region between the dielectric resonator and its image, and the magnetic field is confined almost entirely inside the dielectric resonator. As a result, dissipative losses are reduced to approximately zero, thereby allowing the dielectric resonator to maintain a very high Q value. Moreover, a loose coupling is achieved between the dielectric resonator and the microstrip transmission line in this configuration. As a result, the dielectric resonator maintains the very high Q value in both unloaded and loaded configurations.
In a third embodiment, the dielectric resonator, a magnetic wall, and the microstrip conductor are mounted on the dielectric substrate surface such that the microstrip conductor is between the adjacent dielectric resonator and the magnetic wall. The dielectric resonator is configured to resonate in a second predetermined HEM mode to generate at least one Transverse Electric (TE) multipole (i.e., dipole, quadrupole, or octupole, etc.) inside the dielectric resonator, and the magnetic wall is configured as a mirror. Further, the dielectric resonator is mounted on the dielectric substrate surface near but not touching the microstrip conductor, and the magnetic wall is mounted at a predetermined distance from the dielectric resonator to excite in full strength (i.e., higher Q) the second predetermined HEM mode. Accordingly, when an electromagnetic wave is transmitted on the microstrip transmission line, the adjacent dielectric resonator is excited to resonate in the second predetermined HEM mode to allow a relatively stronger magnetic field coupling between the microstrip transmission line and the dielectric resonator.
In a fourth embodiment, the dielectric resonator, the magnetic wall, and the microstrip conductor are mounted on the dielectric substrate surface such that the dielectric resonator is between the adjacent microstrip conductor and the magnetic wall. Further, the dielectric resonator is mounted near but not touching the microstrip conductor, and the magnetic wall is mounted at the above-mentioned predetermined distance from the dielectric resonator to excite the second predetermined HEM mode and generate at least one TE multipole inside the dielectric resonator. Accordingly, in this fourth embodiment, when an electromagnetic wave is transmitted on the microstrip transmission line, the adjacent dielectric resonator is excited to resonate in the second predetermined HEM mode to allow the relatively stronger magnetic field coupling between the microstrip transmission line and the dielectric resonator.
By configuring the dielectric resonator to resonate in an intrinsic non-radiating HEM mode to generate TE multipoles inside the dielectric resonator, and configuring the magnetic wall as a mirror for conceptually forming an image of the resonating dielectric resonator, a relatively stronger coupling is achieved between the dielectric resonator and the microstrip transmission line while maintaining high Q values of the dielectric resonator.
Other features, functions, and aspects of the invention will be evident from the Detailed Description of the Invention that follows.